Colombia vs Paraguay

Tight CONMEBOL Clash: Colombia Host Paraguay in Crucial World Cup Qualifier

Just one point separates Colombia and Paraguay in the CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 qualifying standings as the two sides prepare for a high-stakes showdown on Tuesday at Estadio Metropolitano.

Colombia suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Brazil on Thursday, conceding a late goal that dropped them to sixth in the table—one spot behind Paraguay, who secured a 1-0 victory over Chile.

After a strong start, Colombia’s qualifying campaign has stumbled in recent months as they aim to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2018. Nestor Lorenzo’s squad has lost their last three qualifiers following an eight-match unbeaten run to open this cycle.

Currently, they cling to the final automatic qualification spot, six points ahead of Bolivia with five matches left. Despite their struggles, Colombia has shown resilience—dropping five points after scoring first but also recovering four points after conceding the opening goal.

Home form has been crucial for Los Cafeteros, with 13 of their 19 points coming on home soil, including a dominant 4-0 win over Chile at Estadio Metropolitano in their last home qualifier. They also hold a strong recent record against Paraguay, unbeaten in their last six meetings—though Paraguay edged them 2-1 in the 2024 Copa America group stage.

Meanwhile, Paraguay has found momentum after a slow start, going unbeaten in their last seven qualifiers. The managerial change to Gustavo Alfaro following their Copa America group-stage exit has sparked a turnaround, reigniting their hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 2010.

Currently seven points clear of Bolivia for an automatic spot, Paraguay’s success has been built on a solid defense—conceding the second-fewest goals in CONMEBOL. However, their attack has struggled, scoring just nine goals, the joint second-lowest in the region.

Paraguay will draw confidence from their recent record in Colombia, remaining unbeaten in their last two away qualifiers—a 0-0 draw in 2021 and a 2-1 victory in 2017.